West Cornwall foraging and cookery school Fat Hen to relaunch

A WEST CORNWALL foraging and cookery school is set to relaunch this year, bringing new menus and courses to the table.

Fat Hen, run by wild food expert Caroline Davey, has put together a programme that she says will "showcase the astounding abundance and diversity of wild Cornish produce", after receiving grant funding last year to help expand.

The school was set up five years ago and offers foraging experiences where visitors collect nature's offerings before going on to dine at the site, located on a farm in St Buryan, near Penzance.

"It's very exciting to have the opportunity to develop my wild food foraging and cookery school," said Mrs Davey.

"Previously we were limited as to what we could offer due to space restrictions. We have now completed the installation of a fabulous kitchen and teaching space in the barn conversion next to our house, thanks to funding."

The former ecological consultant is set to see her business include classes in fish, game, seaweed and wild Italian cookery – with a focus on sustainability and seasonal eating. There will also be a foraging and cooking club for children, kayaking, cycling, as well as "gourmet weekends".

The award, from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE), was given in recognition of the importance in supporting local businesses in the rural economy.

Mrs Davey said people have attended Fat Hen from as far away as Australia and Denmark, while the business has received interest from the likes of Channel 4, a number of the BBC's country and food programmes, and national press.

Xanthe Clay, food writer for The Telegraph, recently tweeted: "One of the best culinary experiences I ever had was in Cornwall with @FatHenForager".

The events calendar for 2014 is now online and Mrs Davey added chefs Mark Devonshire, formerly head tutor of Rick Stein's Seafood Cookery School, and Tim Maddams, who was at the River Cottage, will be involved. For further information contact Caroline Davey by e-mailing caroline@fathen.org or go online and visit www.fathen.org